Nitrogen Accumulation in Lucerne (Medicago sativa L ... - NS seme

www.nsseme.com/journal.htmlNitrogen Accumulation in Lucerne under Water Deficit 31original scientific paper / originalni naučni radNitrogen Accumulation in Lucerne(Medicago sativa L.)Under Water Deficit StressRatar. Povrt. 50:1 (2013) 31-35Viliana Vasileva • Emil Vasilevreceived: 21 February 2013, revised: 29 April 2013, accepted: 21 May 2013published online: 28 May 2013© 2013 IFVCdoi:10.5937/ratpov50-3407Summary: In order to study nitrogen accumulation in aboveground and root dry mass in lucerne(Medicago sativa L.) under water deficit stress, a pot experiment was carried out at the Institute of ForageCrops, Pleven, Bulgaria. The plants were grown under optimum water supply (75-80% FC) and 10-dayswater deficit stress was simulated at the stage of budding by interrupting the irrigation until soil moisturewas reduced to 37–40% FC. Mineral nitrogen fertilization (ammonium nitrate) at the doses of 40, 80,120 and 160 mg N kg- 1 soil was applied. It was found that nitrogen accumulation in dry abovegroundmass was reduced to 18.0%, and in dry root mass to 26.5% under water deficit stress. Mineral nitrogenfertilization contributed to easily overcome the stress conditions of water deficit stress in lucerne.Key words: accumulation, fertilization, lucerne, nitrogen, soil water deficitIntroductionLucerne (Medicago sativa L.) is a nitrogen-fixingcrop with a capability to accumulate significantlymore nitrogen in their biomass ( Jarvis 2005). Theapplication of additional nitrogen is debatable in theliterature due to its nitrogen-fixing ability (Oliveiraet al. 2004, Werner & Newton 2005). Unfavourablefactors limit multiplication frequently. Althoughpotential to tolerate acute conditions of waterdeficit stress (Busse & Bottomley 1989, Solanki &Patel 2000), due to the deeper root system, seedyield in lucerne is considerably influenced by lackof moisture (Shock et al. 1989, 2001, Frame et al.1998) and decreased from 18 to 33% (Vasileva etal. 2006). Because of greater necessity of C and Nassimilates during the reproductive stage nitrogenaccumulation is an important indicator and one ofthe limiting factors for plant growth and seed yieldformation (Serraj at el. 1999). The aim of this workwas to study nitrogen accumulation in lucerneunder water deficit stress.V. Vasileva* • E. VasilevInstitute of Forage Crops, 89 Gen. Vl. Vazov Str., Pleven 5800, Bulgariae-mail: viliana.vasileva@gmail.comMaterials and MethodsA pot experiment was carried out on lucerne(Medicago sativa L.) cv. Victoria at the Instituteof Forage Crops, Pleven, Bulgaria (2003-2004).Soil subtype of leached chernozem was filled in10 L pots. The following treatments were testedwith four replications: Under optimum watersupply - 75–80% of field capacity (FC): 1. Control1 – unfertilized N0PK – (C1); 2. Soil + 40 mgN kg -1 soil (N40PK); 3. Soil + 80 mg N kg -1 soil(N80PK); 4. Soil + 120 mg N kg -1 soil (N120PK);5. Soil + 160 mg N kg -1 soil (N160PK). Under 10-day water deficit stress (37–40% FC): 6. Control 2- unfertilized- N0PK (C2); 7. Soil + 40 mg N kg -1soil (N40PK); 8. Soil + 80 mg N kg -1 soil (N80PK);9. Soil + 120 mg N kg 1 soil (N120PK); 10. Soil +160 mg N kg -1 soil (N160PK). Mineral nitrogen asammonium nitrate equivalent to the tested doseswas applied. All treatments were treated againsta background of P and K, the phosphorus beingapplied as triple super phosphate, and potassiumas potassium chloride. For treatments 1-5 theplants were maintained at 75-80% FC, аnd for6-10 water deficit stress was simulated at thebudding stage by interrupting the irrigation untilreducing the soil moisture down to 37-40% FC.Ratar. Povrt. 50 (2013) 31-35

34Table 3. Percent of reduction in nitrogen in dry mass yield in lucerne after water deficit stressVasileva V & Vasilev ETreatments Nitrogen in yield (%)Abovegrounddry massRootdry massTotal (aboveground + rootdry mass)N0PK(C1) 5.5 23.3 12.2N40PK 13.9 26.5 18.5N80PK 11.3 13.0 11.9N120PK 18.0 16.0 18.5N160PK 13.4 18.2 14.6deficit stress in terms of nodulation and dryroot mass (Vasileva 2010). Water deficit stressreduced total nitrogen accumulation (N indry aboveground +N in dry root mass). Thisdecrease was lowest (11.9%) in treatmentsubjected to 80 mg N kg -1 soil.ConclusionsWater deficit stress decreased nitrogen in dryaboveground mass to 18.0% and nitrogen in dryroot mass to 26.5%. Mineral nitrogen fertilizationat a dose of 80 mg N kg -1 soil contributed to easilyovercome the stress conditions of water deficit inlucerne.ReferencesAntolin, M., Yoller, J., & Sanchez-Diaz, M. (1995). Effectsof temporary drought on nitrate-fed andnitrogen-fixing alfalfa plants. Plant Science, 107,159-165.Busse, M. D., & Bottomley, P. J. (1989). Growth and nodulationresponses of Rhizobium meliloti to waterstress induced by permeating and non-permeatingsolutes. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 55,2431-2436.Cihacek, L.J. (1994). Alfalfa nutrient needs and fertilization.In: Workshop Sobre O Potencial Forrageiro DaAlfafa (Medicago sativa L.) Nos Trópicos, Juiz de Fora,Anais. Juiz de Fora: EMBRAPA, CNPGL, 93-97.Frame, J. J., Charlton, J. F., & Laidlow, A. S. (1998). TemperateForage Legumes. CAB International, pp. 107-159.Hartwig, U. A., & Soussana, J. F. (2001). Ecophisiologyof symbiotic N 2fixation in grassland legumes. InJ. Isselstein, G. Spatz, M. Hofmann (eds.). OrganicGrassland Farming. Grassland Science in Europe6: 23-26.Humphries, A., & Auricht G. (2001). Breeding lucernefor Australia’s southern dryland cropping environments.Australian Journal Agricultural Research52:153-169.Jarvis, S. C. (2005). N flow and N efficiency in legumesbased systems: a system overview. In Sward dynamics,N-flows and Forage Utilization in Legume-BasedSystems, Proc. of the 2 nd COST 852 workshop,Grado, Italy 10-12 November 2005, WachendorfM., Helgadottir A., Parente G. (eds.), 187-198.Nelson, D.W., & Sommers, L. E. (1980). Determinationof total nitrogen in plant material. Agronomy Journal,65, 109-112.Oliveira, W., Oliveira, P., Corsi, M., Duarte, F., & Tsai,S. M. (2004). Alfalfa yield and quality as functionof nitrogen fertilization and symbiosis with Sinorhizobiummeliloti. Scientia Agricola (Piracicaba, Braz.),61, 433-438.Petkova, D. (1994). Effect of the fertilization with nitrogenand some microelements on the productivityduring the first year of alfalfa grown for seeds.Plant Science, 31(5-6), 33-37. (In Bg)Radeva, V. (1991). Biological reaction of lucerne varietiesunder the conditions of different water and nutritiveregime. Proceedings of the Eucarpia, September11-13, Kompolt, Hungary, 256-269.Serraj, R., Sinclair, T., & Purcell, L. (1999). Symbiotic N 2fixation response to drought. Journal of ExperimentalBotany, 50, 143-155.Shock, C.C., Feibert, E. Pettet, F., Sadowski, A., & Saunders,M. (2001). Relationship between water stress andseed yield of two drip-irrigated alfalfa varieties. OregonState University Agricultural Experiment Station,Special Report 1038, 27-38.Shock, C.C., Stephen, W.P., Cairo, V., Stieber, T.D., &Saunders, M. (1989). Irrigation, insect population, anddisease management for alfalfa seed production. OregonState University Agricultural Experiment Station,Special Report 844, 16-21.Ratar. Povrt. 50 (2013) 31-35

Nitrogen Accumulation in Lucerne under Water Deficit 35Solanki, R.M., & Patel, R.G, (2000). Response of lucerneto different moisture regimes. Phosphate levelsand sowing methods. Indian Journal Agricultural Research,34, 160-163.Tufenkci, S., Erman, M., & Sonmez, F. (2006). Effect ofnitrogen application and Rhizobium inoculation onthe yield and nutrient uptake in lucerne (Medicago sativa).Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences-Botany, 25, 1.Vasileva, V. (2010). Effect of mineral nitrogen fertilizingon nodulation of lucerne for seeds in conditionsof water deficiency stress. Journal of Mountain Agricultureon the Balkans, 4, 950-960.Vasileva, V., Kostov, O., & Vasilev, E. (2006). Developmentof lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) treated withmineral fertilizer and manure at optimal and waterdeficit conditions. Comm. Appl. Biol. Sci. Ghent University,4, 5-17.Werner, D., & Newton, W.E. (2005). Soil stress factorsinfluencing symbiotic nitrogen fixation. In: NitrogenFixation in Agriculture, Forestry, Ecology, and theEnvironment. Series: Nitrogen Fixation: Origins,Applications, and Research Progress. Springer, pp.89-102.Zahran, H. H. (1999). Rhizobium-legume symbiosis andnitrogen fixation under severe conditions and inan arid climate. Microbiology Molecular Biology Review,63, 968-989.Zahran, H. H. (2001). Rhizobia from wild legumes: diversity,taxonomy, ecology, nitrogen fixation andbiotechnology. Journal of Biotechnology, 91, 143-153.Akumulacija azota u lucerki (Medicago sativa L.)pri vodnom deficituViliana Vasileva • Emil VasilevIzvod: U cilju ispitivanja akumulacije azota u suvoj masi nadzemnih i podzemnih delova lucerke (Medicago sativaL.) pri vodnom deficitu, eksperiment u saksijama je izveden u Institutu za krmno bilje u Plevenu, Bugarska. Biljkesu uzgajane pod optimalnom obezbeđenošću vodom (75-80% poljskog vodnog kapaciteta), a desetodnevni stress privodnom deficit je simuliran u fazi pupoljaka prekidom dovoda navodnjavanja do smanjenja vlažnosti zemljišta na 37-40% vodnog kapaciteta. Primenjeno je mineralno azotno đubrenje (amonijum nitrat) u dozama 40, 80, 120 i 160 mg Nkg-1 zemljišta. Akumulacija azota pri vodnom deficitu u suvoj masi nadzemnih delova je smanjena na 18,0% a u suvojmasi podzemnih delova na 26,5%. Mineralno azotno đubrenje doprinelo je lakšem prevazilaženju stresnih uslova privodnom deficitu u usevu lucerke.Ključne reči: akumulacija, azot, deficit vode, đubrenje, lucerkaRatar. Povrt. 50 (2013) 31-35